Law enforcement and aviation authorities in the Boston area are actively investigating a concerning trend involving laser strikes aimed at aircraft. Over the course of last week, there were three separate incidents of laser strikes originating from the ground, raising alarm among aviation safety officials.
The initial two incidents occurred during the early hours of Thursday when two JetBlue aircraft were reportedly targeted by green lasers while in the midst of their approach for landing at Logan International Airport (KBOS). The FAA confirmed that the first laser strike was reported by the crew of JetBlue Flight 494, arriving from Denver, followed by a similar incident involving Flight 972 from San Jose, California. Both flights safely landed at KBOS at 5:50 a.m. EDT and 5:54 a.m., respectively, with no reported injuries.
The third incident transpired around 8 p.m. on the same day when a Coast Guard helicopter, engaged in a training flight, was illuminated by a green laser while landing at a hospital in the Boston area. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of this incident.
The FAA has recorded a troubling increase in laser hazard incidents reported by pilots, with over 7,400 incidents reported so far this year. This concerning trend follows nearly 9,500 reported incidents from the previous year, underscoring the urgent need to address this aviation safety issue.
